SysEx for mode (Multi-Timbral versus Performance)

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stevel
Posts: 520
Joined: 07:08, 17 May 2015

SysEx for mode (Multi-Timbral versus Performance)

Post by stevel »

We've been using our Fantom XRs in "Multi-Timbral" mode, whatever it's called. Set 16 parts, receive on 16 channels, use with MIDI Sequencing program (Cubase).

Well, I downgraded to Logic "Pro" X and I've spent days trying to get patch change messages to work.

Finally, finally, finally, I had to and was able to manually copy and paste all the patch names and custom bank messages from a file I found online.

Works!

Or so I thought.

Worked on channel 1.

Channel 2 was silent. Then I realized the Mode button was Red (had been Green) and it's trying to pick "Performances" I guess.

Either those don't receive on Channel 2 or they're not split or layered with anything on Channel 2 or something.

Given the absolute double hockey sticks I went through just to get these patch names to show up and work, I wasn't about to screw with the messages in Logic (nor would I really even know where to look).

So I turned of "SysEx Receive" in the Fantom and then Channel 2 would work - synth stays on the default "User 001" patch I created (which has 16 parts with same settings, and channel 10 set up for drums so it can give you MIDI click) and stays in "green" mode - multi-timbral mode.

And 16 channels work.

Did I do this right? Is not having the sysex receive on going to cause other problems...we only do CC messages - Pan, Volume, Mute, as well as some things like Pitch Bend, Velocity, Transpose, etc. (not CC messages I know). But we don't do anything sysex specifically (GM/GS reset is turn the synth off and back on again to bring up the default patch I created).

But is there anything else "common" I might be missing?
Credo
Posts: 62
Joined: 10:38, 29 January 2015

Re: SysEx for mode (Multi-Timbral versus Performance)

Post by Credo »

If it's working for you, all good, but ideally you'd want to be able to change the modes and stuff from inside your instrument profile. See if there might not be some sort of panel or button in the Logic instrument profile to click between the modes and various instrument, rhythm sets, and performance presets.

Check out the global settings of your XR:

1. Tap the menu button.
2. Choose System and press enter or the data knob.
3. Use the right arrow to scroll to the last page of parameters.

It's going to need you to set some primary channels.
I.E. A main channel for sending events when the XR is in patch mode.
I.E. A channel that can receive performance preset changes.

You'll also want to make sure it is set to allow full MIDI control. There are indeed flags in there where you can block or filter various types of MIDI events, controllers, patch changes and even sysex, so make sure none of those filters are enabled. You want the XR to be able to accept them all.

If you're going to do any sysex stuff, you might also need to pay attention to the device ID. By default it is usually 17. I'm not sure why, but these IDs do not seem translate directly to HEX, so subtract one when converting to hex. I pulled out lots of hair figuring this one out!
Dev 17 = 10 (Even though 17 translates to 11 in HEX)
Dev 18 = 11
Dev 19 = 12
Dev 20 = 13
Etc....

If all of your XR units are on different MIDI/USB ports, you could have them all use the same channels/ID/profile if you like.

If you have more than one XR in the setup daisy chained together, you might want to give them each different master control channels, as well as a different unit sysex ID (if you want them to have independent control...otherwise, if linked in the tone sharing configuration, you could keep them on the same channels and sysex ID, and they should both respond identically in parallel). If you want to control them all independently, then you might need different profiles for each XR (or have an easy way to swap the sysex dev ID and control channels in the profile).

You'll need an XR to be in 'performance mode' for it to work on multiple channels (multi-timberal).
In performance mode, the "MODE" button glows green.
In patch mode, the 'MODE button glows red.

As far as I know, the only way to swap between Performance and Patch mode is to either press the button on the XR itself, or to use Sysex commands.

To enter patch mode via remote send (replace dev with the unit sysex ID):

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F0 41 dev 00 6B 12 01 00 00 00 00 7F F7
(example, if you have the unit ID set to 17, then send: F0 41 10 00 6B 12 01 00 00 00 00 7F F7 )

To enter performance mode send:

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F0 41 dev 00 6B 12 01 00 00 00 01 7E F7
There are also a couple of sysex messages that can put you into GM or GM2 mode, and these are also multi-timberal performance modes.

GM on:

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F0 7E 7F 09 01 F7
GM2 on:

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F0 7E 7F 09 03 F7
To leave or turn off either GM mode either change the preset on the XR itself, or send:

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F0 7E 7F 09 02 F7
You can also bring up a performance template that functions more or less like GM2.

To change the performance templates via MIDI Bank/Program messages, you must first choose the channel that can accept them that you set in the global settings of the XR. The parameter in question here is called "Performance Ctrl Ch". That will be the only channel that will accept changes for the Performance Templates.

Example:
I have my XR set to Perf Ctrl Ch 10:
So I could send this over channel 10 to call up the GM2 performance template:

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Bank Select: MSB 85, LSB 64  (Or 10944 if using 14bit Bank Select)
Program Change: 63
You get 3 possible performance banks.
1. Non-editable presets: Bank 85, 64 + program change 0-63 (or 1-64 with some sequencers)
2. User presets: Bank 85, 0 + program change 0-63
3. Flash Card presets: bank 85, 32 * program change 0-63

You can then call up patches/presets for each channel by sending bank select + program change on each channel (See the manual to see what banks and patches are available, there are many of them!...with SRX cards you get even more!).

Note, some sequencers will let you use Bank Select in the form of two separate MSB and LSB events, while others might only support 14bit bank select commands. If you need to convert to the 14bit format it works like this:

(MSB * 128) + LSB = 14bit Bank Select

Note: The real beef of the XR are it's 5 FX processors (plus a 6th main compressor/limiter). To fine tune these things requires arcane tweaks on that tiny screen, or, using the X Editor, or...finding/building a really complicated instrument profile for your DAW that does all of the sysex messages for every possible MFX chain (at least...it's still not likely to let you tweak patches on the fly).

Just dialing up presets only scratches the surface of what an XR can do!

Really, the easiest way to manage all this is to get Roland's Own X Editor running. That utility lets you easily see and tweak everything in the XR from a PC. Making new patches, or tweaking existing ones transforms from a tedious and difficult task into to something more fun and intuitive! You can then save snapshots as smf/mid files to import into your daw, cut/paste simple sysex commands directly into DAW tracks, or even send a MIDI feed into the DAW and record X Editor tweaks in real time.

On a Mac you'll probably need to use Wine or a VM to get the Windows version running, but it really unleashes a lot of power with the XR, so it really is worthwhile to give it a try.
http://roland.com/support/article/?q=do ... =FANTOM-XR
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